Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are back

Here are a few notes on tonight’s return of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert to Comedy Central after two months of silence due to the writers’ strike. What did you think? Let us know. And check out TV critic Melanie McFarland’s blog for more on the strike and the late night comics’ return.

The Colbert Report

11:55 p.m. Stephen Colbert interviewed Andrew Sullivan of The Atlantic Monthly, who argued to bursts of applause — and the appropriate dose of laughter — that Barack Obama is the best candidate. Clearly, the strike didn’t shake up Colbert’s interviewing skills. That was followed by a talk with Harvard University’s Richard Freeman, another labor expert.

11:49 p.m. It was almost too easy for Colbert to address his contentious return to the air while staying completely within character: “I have always been anti-labor, always been anti-union. This is completely politically consistent,” he said before a montage of archive clips showed just that. “I don’t need my writers,” he said soon after, “which brings me to tonight’s ‘Word.’” Of course, nothing came up. “And that’s the Word. We’ll be right back.”

11:33 p.m. Colbert’s intro was followed by a standing ovation and applause that went on and on: “Tonight! …” “Then! …” “Plus! …” “Hey! …” “This is the ColBERT Report.” Colbert got up and pushed standing audience members — gently — to their seats before sitting down himself and going on.

The Daily Show

11:22 p.m. Cornell University Professor of Labor Relations Ron Seeber started his interview by saying his appearance was contentious, due — of course — to the writers’ strike. The presidential campaign came up at the top of the show, but otherwise, it’s been almost all strike. (Fortunately, though, it’s been almost all funny, too.)

11:10 p.m. Top story: the strike. A highlight … Stewart summarizes the writers’ grievance, quotes Sen. Ted Stevens saying the Internet is a “series of tubes,” cites that episodes of “The Daily Show” are sold for $1.99 on iTunes and concludes, when pondering why the writers don’t get any of that $1.99, that it’s a shipping and handling charge. “That $1.99 goes to fuel for tiny trucks,” he said.

11:01 p.m. Stewart started the show sporting a “writers’ strike solidarity unibrow.” He explains: “I’m hoping this is the statement of solidarity that catches on.” In other news: it’s not “The” Daily Show, Stewart said. Because of the strike and the changes it’s brought, it’s “A” Daily Show. Indefinite article. Nice move.

10:58 p.m. “We’re making news again.” That’s the tagline Comedy Central just used to promo “The Daily Show.” Of course, they’re making news just by coming back. Let’s see what else they’ve got.

Pre-show post

They’re baaaack.

“The Daily Show and “The Colbert Report” are on Comedy Central tonight — at 11 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. — and to the relief of their fans, who have gone two months without the political comics’ unique take on the headlines, they won’t be reruns.